Hama april 2009 8279.jpg

The "old town", at least the part along the river, has been almost completely destroyed during an uprising in 1982, after a revolt was organized in Hama by the Muslim Brotherhood, an extremely fundamentalist Muslim movement. The reaction was fierce and between 10.000 and 25.000 people were killed in three weeks (estimate of Amnesty International according to the Lonely Planet). The aspect of the town was changed forever, the open area near the Cham Hotel for instance was a densely populated area. There is one street that gives some feel (but no more) of what might have been, the Azem Palace is a highlight to visit there, and the nice An-Nuri Mosque at its end.